Device for measuring keys.



A. ETTINGER.

DEVICE FOR MEASURING KEYS. APPUCATPON FILED JAN. 31. |916.

1,950,999. Patented Dee. 25,1917.

"l, Y y /9 0, f/ 15 all @wwf/nag ALEXANDER ETTINGER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

DEVICE FOR MEASURING KEYS.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 25, 1917.

Application led January 31V, 1916. Serial No. 75,246.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER ETTINGER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for MeasuringKeys, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to a device for measf case the key is lost.

With the above and other objects in View as will be understood. theinvention will be hereinafter fully described in connection with theaccompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof,and the novel features ot' the invention will be distinctly pointed ontin the appendedrclaims.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate correspondingparts.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a key measuring device constructed inaccordance with my invention,

Fig. 2 is an end view of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a plan sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. l,

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view, on an enlarged scale, with the key inplace, taken on line 4 1 ot Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the plungers. n

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a base having at its rear end anupright bracket 2, from which project a pair of forwardly extending lugs3 for supporting a pivot pin 4. A plurality of indicating fingers 5 arepivotally supported on said pivot pin preferably with spacing washerstherebetween, and their free forward ends 6 are adapted to projectthrough and move in vertical slots 7 of a register plate 8 curved on thearc of a circle, with said pivot point as a center. Said register plateis fixed tothe front end of the base by screws 8", and its upper endrests upon and is connected at 9 to a top-piece 10, formed integrallywith a pair of spaced uprights 11, which are fastened to the sides ofsaid base. Series of marks and numerals on the register plate, asillustrated at 12, serve the purpose of scales for the reading of thelimit of the movement of the indicating ngers in measuring a key. Inorder to show just where the free projecting ends of the indicatingfingers stop when measuring a key, beads 13 are slidably mounted uponguide wires 14, which are arranged parallel to the slots 7 of theregister plate. These guide wires are held snugly against the face ofthe register plate and are adapted to cause the beads to frictionallyengage the same for holding them in a set position. The upper ends ofthe guide wires pass through apertures 15 in the register plate andknots 16 tied thereat, and their 1 other ends pass through similarapertures 17 in the register platejust above the top of the base. Thefree ends of said guide wires enter longitudinal openings 18 in a raisedcross-bar 19 of the base, and are securely held therein by bindingscrews 20. The guide wires are drawn tight to obtain the proper tensionfor holding the beads in a set position by means ot' tightening screws21, which are mounted in the base and are which passes through thebracket and screws into the holder. Said holder is provided with acylindrical socket 28 for receiving a vbushing 29, which in turn isadapted to receive an ordinary plug of a lock oi" the Yale type, such asindicated at 30. Said plug is constructed with a suitable key-way 31 fora key 32, and in the wall of the plug above the key hole is a pluralityof vertical holes 33 for accommodating the usual pin tumblers in saidclass of locks. The bushing 29 .is out away at 34 to providea'longitudinal opening above the row of holes 33, and

through the wall 35 ofthe holder, in vertical alinemc'nt with said holesandthe cross yaction to the'indicating fingers. `Said plungers areprevented from falling below a certain point, when the key is not in theplug of the lock, by means of cross pins 4l, which are 'xed in the headsthereof and are adapted to rest upon the bottoms of the cross slots 25.The plug 30 is held in proper position to bring the holes 33 directlyunder the indicating fingers by the use of a centering screw 42,which-is threaded in the holder and passes through an opening in thebushing 29 and engages a shallow-recess 43 in said plug.

Thereasonfor Ymaking the holder 22 removable isto be able to substitutetherefor another holder having a different number of cross slots 25V orthe same number differently spaced, which will correspond with the lpintumblers of the locks to be measured.

In orderto measure a key with this invention, it is necessary to firstselect a plug such as 30, which corresponds with the plug ot thelock'tobe'measured. This plug is inserted into the bushing '29 having t-heproper number andspacing of cross slots'25, and the bushing :placed inthe holder '22. The centering screw 42 is then turned to en- 33 of theplug and the indicating fingers 5 are arranged in the cross slots 25.The plungers are supported kby their cross pins :41. engagingthe'hottoms of said crossslots, and said indicating yfingers rest uponthe lheads lof ythe plungers. The key to be measured, l,as lfor,instance 32, is inserted into the key-way ottheplug v.30, andits notchesof varying depths` willengage the pointed ends 'i39-of theplungersthereby forcing them upavardly, and thus actuating the indicatingfingers accordingtothe depths of thecorre- -sponding notches. Byslidingthe beads 13 `upon-the guide Ywires -14 until their upperedgesiarebrough-t even with t-he upperv edges vor' the indicatingfingers, the limit of movement of the indicating fingers isconvenwiently registered. WVhen-thekey is removed, 'theindicating'ffingersfreturnto theirpriginal positions. A new keyrmay thenbe ,made 'from a blank, by fittingit-into the key-way lof the plug-and4filing the-notches thereof until it causes the-indicatingngers to moveto the positions registered vbythe beads. Or

.from -the positions of the 4beads with relation to the Amarksend number-12ggn the register plate, a record may be taken, and a key afterwardmade by setting the beads according to the record and proceeding asalready explained.

ABy constructing the holder so that it is removablyv fixed to the baseand is inter changeable, and providing the same with al plurality otbushings adapted to receive various sizes of plugs, the device iseiiicient tor measuring keys for all styles of pin tum bler locks.Although the device set forth and described is only capable ot measuringa key having three notches, it will be understood that the saineprinciple is applicable for measuring keys having a greater number, andalso that slight changes in the details of construction may be madewithin the scope of the claims.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim is:

l. In a key -measuring device, the combination of a base, indicatingfingers pivoted to the base, a holder removably supported by the base, aremovable bushing carried by `the holder, a plug of a pin tumbler lockin by the base, a plug of a pin tumbler lock carried by the holder, theplug being provided with pin holes, the holder being slotted forreceiving the indicating fingers, and plungers slidably mounted in theholder in vertical alinement with the slots and ,extending intothe pinholes of said plug, substantially as described.

3. In a key measuring device, the combination of a base, indicatingfingers pivoted to the base, a holder supported by the base, a plug of apin tumbler lock carried by the holder, the Vplug being provided ywithpin holes, the holder being slotted Jforreceiving the indicatingfingers, plungers slidably mounted in the holder in vertical alinementwith the slots and extending into the pin holes of said plug, andcross-pins fixed in the plungers adapted to rest upon the bottoms ofsaid slots for supporting them in normallposition, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a key measuring device, the combination of a base, an uprightbracket at the rear end of the base, lugs extending for wardlyrtrom thebracket, a pivot pin carried by said lugs, indicating lingersconnectedtothe pivot pin, a holder, a. locking screw for removably `xingthe holder to said Y bracket, a plug of a pintumbler lock carnation of abase, indicating fingers pivoted to the base, a plug of a pin tumblerlock supported by the base, means actuated by a key inserted into saidplug for operating the indicating fingers, a register plate Xed to thebase, the register plate being provided With slots for receiving thefree ends of the indicating fingers, guide Wires arranged on theregister plate, and beads slidably mounted upon the guide Wires adaptedto be set to the limit of movement of the indicating lingers,substantially as described.

6. In a key measuring device, the combination of a base, indicatingfingers pivoted to the base, a plug of a pin tumbler lock supported bythe base, means actuated by a key inserted into said plug for operatingthe indicating fingers, a register plate fixed to the base, the registerplate being provided With slots for receiving the free ends of theindicating fingers, guide Wires arranged on the register plate, beadsslidably mounted upon the guide Wires, and means for tightening theguide Wires to draw them close to the register plate for causing thebeads to frictionally engage the register plate, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ALEXANDER ETTINGER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patenti, Washington, D. C.

